Page 70 of An Eye For Illusion

“I keep telling you it doesn’t work like that,” Donovan starts. “You weren’t the only one in the room when Vinny told you to get that car. Beyond that, you weren’t the only one in the house. Those guys all talk, and they all compete to be the best in with Vinny. It’s a game, Colin. A game you won’t win unless you want to get your hands really dirty, and trust me when I say, you abso-fucking-lutely do not want to get your hands that dirty.”

He’s right. I don’t want to get my hands any dirtier than I already have while dealing with this group of thugs. However, if it saves Jade from marrying Elliott and gives me a shot with her, I’ll do whatever needs to be done.

“Get in,” Donovan says as he gets into the front passenger seat. “Let’s get this shit over with.”

I can’t blame him for being less than thrilled about being involved. I drug him into this shit after he spent so much time getting out of it. He’s here again because of me, to help me.

I step on the running board and slide onto the driver’s seat. “I appreciate you helping with this, D. Seriously, I mean it. “

“Don’t get sappy on me; just drive.” He turns his face away from me, but I can tell he’s just revving me. It’s become his favorite past time.

Chapter 23

Colin

As soon as I turn right onto the main road, the white pickup truck’s headlights come on and make their way onto the road behind me. Whoever it is won’t give up so easily, it seems. I’m in a different vehicle now, so I don’t know how they’d know it’s me.

“Do you know who’s following us?” I ask Donovan, my voice far more aggressive than I intended.

Donovan leans forward in his seat, pinning me with his eyes. “You think I’m the one having us followed? How the fuck should I know?”

My heart rate picks up. While I would never outright accuse him, I also wouldn’t put it past him to do something like this to make me understand how serious this shit is. He keeps telling me I don’t understand. It stands to reason he might try to teach me a lesson for going with Frankie alone when I hot-wired that car.

I scrub my free hand over my face while glancing in the rearview mirror to watch the truck. “Sorry. I just don’t know why someone would be following us or who it could be.” I struggle to make sense of my own thoughts. I don’t want Donovan to think I don’t trust him because I do.

Donovan is still leaned forward, a look of absolute disbelief on his face. “Are you fucking with me right now? You don’t know who or why someone would be following us?” His voice grows louder, dramaticized sarcasm dripping from each word.

I don’t get to answer before he starts again. “We’re getting deeper into a crime ring by the day. You scaled a fence and hot-wired a fucking car for someone you’d only met once. You’re lucky you aren’t fucking dead already. Then you agreed to find a car, but not just any car. A very specific fucking car—for the leader of the aforementioned crime ring. And you agreed to do it in an insane time constraint. So, do tell me again why you can’t figure out who or why someone would be following us.”

He sits back in his seat but only for a second before turning my way again. “In case that didn’t clear up your confusion—who we’re being followed by is someone connected to Vinny and why we’re being followed is so they can be sure we’re the assholes we told them we are.”

He sits back again, resting his elbow on the door handle as he stares at the pickup truck’s headlights in the side mirror.

I give him a minute to be sure he’s done. “Look, I know I fucked up. I can’t change that, but I’m trying to get this case closed so we’re out of it. I have to find out the role Moore plays in all this so I can give the information to Jade and likely the police. Once the case is closed, we’re out.”

He blows out a frustrated breath. “Had you listened to me in the beginning, that might have been true. You were supposed to talk a big game like you knew some shit and tail Vinny’s guys along with Moore until you got enough on him. Then you were supposed to disappear as quickly as you showed up. Buuut you didn’t, and instead, you started taking jobs for Vinny. So, now we’re forced to get enough to take them all down. Well, that or plan to relocate when you’re done with the case. In other words, you’ve fucked yourself and likely me, too.”

His tone is eerily even, but I don’t make the mistake of doubting how much he believes every word he said.

I don’t respond because what the fuck do I say to that? I fucked up so royally that now I may have to leave town. Hell no. Nobody is running me out of my own town. If taking down the entire crime ring is the new mission, then that’s what we’ll do.

“If you get me killed, I’m haunting your ass.” He doesn’t look at me when he speaks, but I can see his smirk in the reflection of the window. He’s pissed, but he covers it with jokes.

“Deal.”

The truck stays behind us with every turn. The driver has made little effort to hang back for the last several miles. The bolder the driver becomes, the more anxious I get. Whoever this is, they’re planning to have an interaction with one or both of us.

And he’s going to get just that. I’m getting this car and delivering it to Vinny myself.

As I make the last turn, I see the car Vinny wanted sitting on a trailer in the parking lot ahead. No other cars are around. Only a single flickering light barely illuminates the small area. I glance in the rearview mirror to watch the white pickup predictably make the turn behind me. As soon as I steer into the parking lot, the truck cuts around me, speeding towards the trailered car.

“Here we fucking go,” Donovan mutters.

He shifts in his seat before I hear the familiar racking of a gun slide.

My gun is on my side, but I double check to be sure.

The white pickup has parked along the far side of the trailer. In a bold move of my own, I swing the truck wide and then back up to the tongue of the trailer. Whoever that is isn’t leaving with this car.

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